Guidelines for the Medical Management of Rabies in South Africa

Guidelines for the medical management of rabies in South Africa
(Issued by The Department of health)

Preventive Vaccination (No Exposure)
People at high risk of exposure to rabies, such as veterinarians, veterinary officials, staff at veterinary practices and welfare organisations should be advised to undergo preventative pre-exposure immunisation.

The pre-exposure schedule for rabies vaccination is 3 doses, given at the following times:
Dose 1: As appropriate
Dose 2: 7 days after Dose 1
Dose 3: 28 days after Dose 1

A single booster dose is given every 2-3 years, and such pre-immunised individuals are given only 2 boosters after and incident of exposure to infection, on days 0 and 3. No rabies anti-immunoglobulin is administered.

Vaccination after an exposure
Anyone who has been bitten by an animal, or who otherwise may have been exposed to rabies, should clean the wound and see a doctor immediately. The doctor will determine if they need to be vaccinated.

Vaccines for humans:
Verorab (a vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur) is available form your local veterinary wholesalers.